Kirk Herbstreit, right, jokes with Lee Corso during the ESPN College GameDay show on Michigan State's campus last season, Herbstreit said the Spartans' offense has a ways to go and needs to play smart against Michigan.Mike Mulholland | MLive.com

EAST LANSING — Michigan State's defense is under-appreciated on a national level and is as good as there is in the nation, according to ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit.

"I like Michigan State to get to the Big Ten Championship Game,'' Herbstreit said on ESPN's Mike and Mike Show on Wednesday. "I think Michigan State, at home, will win (over Michigan). I think it will be a close game.''

In an interview with MLive.com on Tuesday, Herbstreit said two things about the Spartans jump out at him entering the rivalry game.

Raw passion is the first, and Michigan State has a former Wolverines' player to thank for that, Herbstreit indicated.

"I think it goes back to the `They're our little brother' comment from Mike Hart, (and) I think Michigan State plays with a great deal of anger and intensity, and it's because of the way over the years Michigan has viewed them,'' Herbstreit said. "Mark Dantonio has lived that and he makes sure his team understands that. Michigan has to match that intensity.''

The No. 23 Wolverines (6-1, 2-1 Big Ten) will get the opportunity to show they can play angry, too, against No. 24 Michigan State (7-1, 4-0) in the 3:30 p.m. ABC television game at Spartan Stadium.

Herbstreit's other notable observation about the Spartans is that their offense has yet to really figure itself out heading into the Michigan game.

"The biggest thing I've seen from Michigan State, I know from watching them a year ago, for them to take the next step, it was really more about finding an offense that could execute, where the quarterback could make the throws, and the receivers could hold on to the ball,'' Herbstreit said. "Can this team create balance, that's the thing people were confused by, we were so spoiled by Kirk Cousins and his group of receivers. It seemed like this is who Michigan State is with Mark Dantonio: They play great defense and play better offense than people think.

"Then Cousins left and some of the receivers left, and it became, they have to win with defense and special teams and not lose it on offense.''

That was pretty much the story of the 2012 season for the Spartans, who lost five of their games by a combined 13 points and finished 7-6 despite having the No. 4 defense in the country.

"I was anxious to see the growth and development of Andrew Maxwell, he's a fifth-year senior and I knew he had his growing pains, but let's see how much his receivers have improved,'' Herbstreit said. "This offense has been a work in progress this year. With Connor Cook as the quarterback, things feel a little bit different as far as the execution, the ball getting out, receivers catching the ball. They are still light years form where they want to be.''

Herbstreit sees the promise of the Michigan State running game, but there's another step that needs to be taken, perhaps in Saturday's rivalry game with Michigan.

"Even as we sit here at the end of October, I feel Michigan State is finding themselves and who they can be, when you bring in a freshman like Delton Williams, and you're feeding him in to see how he handles situations, and (Jeremy) Langford is still the guy who can get the bulk of the carries … they want Williams to get more and more,'' he said.

"The receivers are playing better, (Bennie) Fowler and (Macgarrett) Kings are their go-to guys, and (Tony) Lippett has big-play ability,'' Herbstreit said. "The one thing that's missing is getting the ball downfield. I feel like it's, let's grind it here, let's put together an 80-yard drive, nine, 10, 12 plays to achieve this.

"In a game like this, protecting the ball is big and as a play caller, playing to your strengths, your defense, is big. (But) at some point you have to be willing to give your offense a chance to make some plays and not be afraid to go down field and take some shots.''